The Master of The Hopeless
by Mr.Tang Lung
Summary: Twelve years after the events of "Another Outcome", a menace is spreading upon the land. A fearsome gang led by a mysterious woman captures the Prince's son and now he and his friends must track them down, save the boy and put an end to this.
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO THERE, FAN FICTION! I HAVEN'T UPLOADED IN SUCH A LONG TIME SO BEAR WITH ME, PLEASE! ANYWAY, THIS WILL BE A SHORT CONTINUATION TO A PREVIOUS FF I COMPLETED I BELIEVE A YEAR AGO (PRINCE OF PERSIA: ANOTHER OUTCOME)**

 **ENJOY!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING AND EVERY ELEMENT IN THIS STORY BELONGS TO UBISOFT!**

 **PERSEPHONE OF THE HOPELESS**

"But I AM telling the truth, Kaileena! He saved me with the very same power you had" Spoke the Prince as he approached to her queen, who seemed reluctant to believe the story her husband was telling.

"And I am telling you that such thing is impossible" She replied with her arms folded and a skeptic face expression. "You know that ever since the very last time I stepped outside my island my powers began to weaken... They vanished completely years ago, Prince, I am no longer a semi-godness" She said before entering a deep silence which was ruled by the burning question of how her son could had possibly inherited her powers since she was now a normal human being. After almost three minutes of trying to solve that mystery, she finally reached a conclusion. It was definitely far fetched, but it was the only rational explanation. "It IS impossible... Unless, that the fact that when I conceived Javed twelve years ago, while I was still bearing my powers, somehow resulted in him inheriting my powers and being able to retain them due to the human blood flowing through his veins... Your blood" She explained while biting her finger in amusement.

"That has to be the reason. Our son is an hybrid, then? In that case we better ignore that rule of not teaching him anything related to combat? Because if he does not know how to control his powers properly he might end up harming himself!" Replied the Prince, expecting his wife to reject the idea of instructing their child. However, her response was definitely unexpected.

"You are right. We should start as soon as possible! I do not want my son to be consumed by forces he cannot handle" She said, walking towards their luxurious bed. "Tomorrow, I will have a talk with him. As for now, I think we should get some proper rest after a day filled with those pesky royal duties" She said with both hands resting on her hips. The Prince gave her warm smile, she knew what that meant.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?" He asked with his naughty eyes carefully examining the flawless curves that were covered by the blue robe she was wearing.

Kaileena smiled back and answered the question. "Let me think... Oh! Yes! I remember that you told me how beautiful I was one or two times before" She said before releasing a charming laugh. The Prince chuckled and proceeded to gently place both arms around her body, dragging her closer and narrowing the distance between their faces.

"Happy anniversary, my love" He whispered to her before kissing her lips. After some seconds making out, the Prince lifted her and laid her down on the bed. The he carefully positioned himself on top of her and continued to kiss her lips. Then he switched his target zone from her lips to her neck and unleashed several kisses on her pale skin. Kaileena immediately released a short moan right after the Prince's kinky hands joined the party and began to play with her breasts.

"You heard that?" She asked all of a sudden.

"It was nothing" He replied without interrupting the worship he was giving to her body.

"I think Javed is playing in the garden, he knows he shouldn't stay awake in such a late hour" She insisted.

The Prince sighed in frustration and got off of her. "Fine, I will send him back to bed, but you and I have unfinished business" He said with a smirk on his face. Kaileena nodded and winked to him. The Prince walked towards the balcony so that he could scold his son and go back to bed but when he said his name there was no answer. The garden below was completely dark regardless of the full moon in the sky. After some seconds of silence he was about to call him again but a scream filled with fear suddenly pierced his ears. "Javed?!".

"Dad! Help me!" Cried the kid from the darkness. His father quickly jumped down from the balcony. He landed the best he could, injuring his ankle in the process. Nevertheless, he ignored the pain and chase after the kid's voice.

After sprinting as fast a he could he eventually reached the end of the hanging garden and was abruptly met by a knife aimed to his face. Thankfully, his reflects, although being a little rusted, made him evade the swing with ease and roll away from his attacker. "And just who are you?!" He asked while getting up and realizing that he was surrounded by three masked men, all of the wielding knifes. The men didn't say a word, it wasn't like he was expecting them to do it anyway. "Not the talkative type, I suppose..." He said.

Immediately, the three men charged at him and attempted to stab him at the very same time, leaving him with very limited choices. However, the Prince easily dodged their steel by simply ducking and counterattacked by knocking down all three of them with a powerful sweep kick. Right after that someone threw him a sword and he grasped it while it being in mid air. Everyone looked in surprised and found Kaileena standing before them. "Kaileena! I'll take care of these. You go get Javed" The Prince commanded to his wife and after a nodding quickly, she took off. One of the thugs attempted to stop her but was suddenly stopped when the Prince decapitated him with a fast swing. "You are not going anywhere- you hear!? If you wish to follow her you will have to get by me... Good luck with that" He said with a defiant gaze. The two men stared at each other displaying an almost comical image that was abruptly ended when both charged at him in hopes of impaling him with their daggers.

"Pitiful..." Whispered the confident man before spinning towards the duo and slaying their throats almost at the same time. Both fell immediately. The man didn't waste a single second and rushed at full speed towards the direction Kaileena took. His ears could perceive the sound of some sort of blow followed by a short grunt of pain. His mind immediate began to imagine the worst as he dashed across the the hanging garden. Eventually he reaching his destination and confirmed his fears with the scenario that was displayed before his very eyes. Kaileena and his son were laying unconscious a few letters towards him. "NO!" He cried as he approached but stopped dead in his track when a female, yet strong, voice broke the silence.

"The Prince of Persia, I presume? Or shall I call you, King of Persia?" Said the mysterious woman before jumping out of the shadows. With another woman by her side. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Persephone of Kora" She said politely. The woman before him looked around his same age, she had long, dark, silky hair and beautiful creamy skin. Despite bearing a gorgeous face, her slim body told a different story, a black and tight leather armor with golden snakes drawings adorning it. Just by looking at her it was pretty obvious that she wasn't from Persia, let alone the city.

"...What do you want from me? You look like a warrior, If this is some kind of grudge against me we can fix it just the two of us! Leave my family be!" He exclaimed with nothing but sheer rage in his eyes. Persephone chuckled briefly and took a few steps forward.

"I always wanted to visit Babylon. You see, from where I come from there is barely anything to even stare at... Nothing but rocks and sand. You get the picture, right? I just thought it would be fun to pass by and visiting you while at it... Yet you seem to be unwilling to welcome us-" She replied before being suddenly interrupted by the furious man.

"Quit fooling around! I do not have time to play along your stupid game, so tell me what the hell do you want!" He said with his right hand already prepared to swing his sword.

"Let me at him, master! You cannot waste your time with such a filthy and uneducated swine!" Said the irritated woman who was standing at Persephone's left. She seemed to be even younger that her and was dressed almost identical, with the exceptions of the lack of golden drawing on her armor and having a ponytail. She tried to step in but could barely take two steps forward before being stopped by her master's arm. She stared at her puzzled.

"No need to get carried, Kala... Have you forgotten how long I have been waiting for this? I shall be the one who squares with the Prince. You can finish off his whore and son, if you wish" Persephone calmly said while taking off a curved sword with emeralds incrusted on its blade out of the sheath she had on her back. "I just want to have a taste of the man whose prowess in battle are unsurpassed..." She made a brief pause to enter her combat stance, which was completely foreign to the Prince's eyes. "Such strength!".

"At least you go right to the point this time. Bear in mind, I will not hold back just because you are a woman... Not after what you did to my family!" He exclaimed with his sword ready. Ten seconds passed, yet neither decided to engage. It was then when his impatience and rage clouded his mind and forced him to attack with a fearsome swing which, much to his surprise, his opponent easily parried. Right after both blades collided he realized that she was no ordinary warrior, despite his weight advantage, the Prince could barely move her with his blow. Immediately, Persephone took the next step and counterattacked with a knee to his core. The Prince quickly backed off and groaned in pain but had little time to react when she unleashed five hits with an incredibly fast technique. He managed to dodge three, but the two remaining landed on his left leg. Had he been in his armor, the cuts would have not been so deep. The Prince rolled back in order to gain more space so that he could try to come up with a better strategy.

"You have gotten slow, Prince- So it is true. All these years have greatly weakened your skill... Tell me, what happened to the man who managed to overcome and entire army and save his kingdom, huh?" Said the woman as she slowly approached to him. This time she took the initiative and attempted to hit her opponent with a strong thrust. Nevertheless, she was completely shocked when the Prince parried the attack and rolled towards her, this time she was defenseless. Thus the Prince didn't waste the opportunity and landed two solid elbows to her jaw before trying to pierce her torso with his sword, unfortunately Persephone reacted faster than he expected and made a backflip, evading the attack. "I should have figured, you are not all that bad. I have not bleed in a long time..." She said right after savoring the blood on her lips. "... Hate to say it, but in the state you are now you cannot hope to defeat me. We barely fought but I already seen enough...".

"Quit bluffing! Those blows almost knock you out! I should be the one to be disappointed" He said, trying to hide the pain on his leg.

"I cannot tell if you are faking it or if you are naive enough to believe what that mouth of yours is saying... I haven't break a sweat, actually, I have been holding back in order to have some fun... But, If you wish to best my supreme strength you are welcome to try!" She said with both arms raised and a devious smirk on her face.

"You are lying!" Cried the Prince as he charged to his opponent in hopes to repeat the same strategy as before. He performed a short feint with his sword and expected Persephone to swing her sword to his side so that he could parry quickly and deliver the next blow to her throat. "(You are done!)" He thought as his plan apparently worked, however...

"Predictable!" She replied after spinning to his side and cutting the Prince's abdomen from side to side. She quickly followed with a powerful kick right to his thorax, which broke several ribs and sent him flying a few meters away. The fight was over.

The Prince lied over a puddle of blood that was getting bigger at an alarming rate. After a few seconds twitching in pain he attempted to get back on his feet, but his efforts were fruitless for the damage provoked by those two last blows had been painfully effective. Persephone approached slowly and gently grabbed his face by the chin. "What? Are we really done here?" She asked with certain degree of disappointment within her words.

"Y-you- you have what you came for... You win. Now let my family alone!" The Prince managed before coughing some blood. Both gaze met for an instant that resembled an eternity. Her penetrating green eyes pierced his mind.

"But I do not have what I came for... Yet. As a matter of fact, Now I want a totally different thing and that thing is YOU" She replied with a devilish grin adorning her pale face. Before the confused man could even talk she continued "The man I came here to fight is missing, I have not found him yet. I am looking for the warrior known as the king of blades, the man who bested an unstoppable beast and defeated a whole sand army! It seems that all these years of inactivity have rusted your fighting spirit" She said before turning her towards Kaileena and Javed. "Perhaps you need some stimulation, Prince, and I know just what you need".

"Who- who are you?" Asked the Prince.

Persephone returned her attention to him and answered with a cold expression "I am a lost soul who has a promise to fulfill. That is all you need to know, at least for now". She the stood up and headed to were Kaileena was. The injured man tried to crawl and follow her but the pain was unbearable. "I will not be satisfied! Not until I face the REAL you!" Exclaimed the woman before grabbing the unconscious woman from her hair. "Knife..." She said while extending her hand to where Kala was. Kala did as her master commanded and handed over a short knife she had hidden beneath her belt. "Isn't she beautiful?" She said as the shiny tip of her blade gently landed on Kaileena's cheek.

"Persephone! If you dare to hurt her... I-" Yelled the Prince before making a short pause which was enough for her to draw her attention towards him once again. "... I will not just kill you" He continued.

The smile on her face suddenly vanished after this and she spent the following ten seconds staring at him with what barely resembled genuine concern. "Is that so? I am going to enjoy watching you try so badly" Was her reply. Thus she prepared her steel and attempted to bury it on Kaileena's throat, but when she was about to fulfill her task Kala stepped before her and deflected what seemed to be a throwing knife. Both Persephone and the Prince looked to the direction from which the flying knife came, however, they could hardly see anything due to the veil of darkness that surrounded them.

"You should not get ahead of yourself. After all, this battle is far from finished!" Said a mysterious voice from the shadows.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. A Shocking Discovery

**A SHOCKING** **DISCOVERY**

 _"That voice. Could it be? Dardan?!"_ Managed the defeated Prince who was still laying on the ground. At first there was no response, but when the mysterious silhouette stepped outside the shadows his assumptions were confirmed. A tall man in his late twenties, wearing a metallic bronze armor, brown hair and burly physique qualities was now being illuminated by the beautiful moonlight. It was Dardan. The Prince was speechless. _"(What in the hell is going on here?!)"_ He thought to himself.

Dardan looked at the Prince briefly and didn't seem surprised about what just have happened to him. Immediately he returned his attention to the Persephone, who had already released Kaileena's hair. _"I have been searching for you for a long time. I have been to several places, closely following every single clue you left behind! Persephone of Kora, queen of The Hopeless, disease of the desert…"_ He said before slowly pulling off his sword.

Persephone stared at him puzzled and rose an eyebrow before answering _"And you are…?"_.

Dardan immediately chuckled for a brief moment and took a few steps forward. _"Hmm! There is no point in telling my name to someone who is about to perish"_.

 _"You seem to be pretty confident in yourself… To tell the truth, I hardly broke any sweat while dealing with the Prince…"_ She replied with her curved sword already out of her sheath. However, after some seconds, she put away her sword again _"…but then again, I do not have time to waste right now. You see, my pets are hungry and I am not the kind of person who would let them starve…"_. Thus she turned and started to walk away. Confused, Dardan tried to chase after her but Kala stepped in before him.

 _"Master, what should we do with these?"_ Asked Persephone's subordinate while pointing to Javed and his mother.

 _"We do not need more than the boy… You can do whatever you want with the whore"_ Replied the dark haired woman.

 _"You think I will let you walk away?!"_ Exclaimed Dardan, ready to fight Kala. _"Out of my way!"_ He commanded. The woman before him smiled and threw three small balls to the ground. Dardan didn't even have time to react when the balls exploded when they collided with the ground. He jumped backwards, barely evading the could of fire which had appeared. He couldn't even regain his composure before the grown below him began to crumble. Dardan and the injured Prince fell to the abyss.

 _"NO!"_ Cried the Prince while falling down to what he thought was his ultimate end.

 _"Come on, Kala. We cannot have the luxury to waste anymore time on these. We still was three caravans to intercept, so move on"_ Spoke Persephone without turning.

 _"Hmm! Fine"_ Said Kala as she approached the to unconscious pair. She lifted Javed and ruthlessly kicked Kaileena, pushing her to the dark hole Dardan and the Prince had just fell into.

TWO DAYS LATER...

The Prince frowned his face after the powerful sunlight began to collide with his skin. He felt little pain at first, but when he tried to adopt the fetal position an almost unbearable sensation which resembled a burned piece of steel landing on his naked abdomen immediately made him remember what had occurred. Thus he opened his eyes abruptly. _"K-Kaileena?"_ He stammered, realizing how dry his throat actually was. The thirst immediately attacked his mind.

 _"Prince, It is good to see that you regained consciousness..."_ Said Dardan, who was quietly watching him from a chair at the end of the small room. The Prince stared at him in surprise for he thought he was completely alone. _"Here... Drink some water"_ Spoke the man as he approached with a large glass filled with that precious transparent liquid. The Prince did as he said and finished his drink in the blink of an eye. _"I figured you would be thirsty. During the past days I could only make you drink liquid from a tiny spoon"_ He said with a friendly smirk.

 _"Few days? H-how much time I was-"_ He replied in surprise.

Dardan hesitated at first, but eventually decided to answer the Prince's question, knowing that it could be rather harmful for him. _"Prince... You lost too much blood, enough to make you lose consciousness... I have been taking care of both you and Ms. Kaileena for two days"_ Explained the young man and as he expected, the Prince immediately tried to get up. However, the immense pain on his core sent him down with ease. _"Please, do not push yourself! You received a powerful slash directly... I am rather surprised that you survived that, Prince. I managed to patch up and close the wound but you must remain calm for a few more days!"._

 _"Kaileena! Where is she?! How is she-"_ Exclaimed the Prince before being interrupted by Dardan.

 _"Calm down, She is fine. She has not awaken yet... After the blow she received on her head, it is likely that she will not wake up... At least not in a few days"._ After hearing out what he said the Prince flipped his body and attempted yet again to get up but this time Dardan was the one who put him down. _"I said she is FINE! Prince, before rushing into things hear what I have to say! This woman, the one who attacked you and took your son away is far from being an ordinary person"_ He the made a brief pause just to see if the Prince had decided to settle down. Then he continued. _"That woman... She goes by the name Persephone, yet that is obviously a nick name, as you might have guessed. She is feared all across the enormous desert of the east. People from small towns regard her and her gang as 'The plague of the far lands'... Nearly every single group of people who were unfortunate enough to caught her attention have either disappeared without a trace or been ruthlessly slaughtered"._

The Prince didn't seem to be surprised by what Dardan had just told him. As a matter of fact, he had already made up a comment about it even before his friend could finish his speech. _"So basically they are nothing but mere bandit_ s, _nothing more. They are garbage at the end of the day"._

Dardan shook his head and replied with an uneasy voice tone. _"I wish they were just mere scum, Prince. There are a number of things which make this thing particularly unsettling... You see, whenever these guys attack they do it in a very 'tidy' way, if you will. They seem to know every single move of their preys, they know what they are looking for. Secondly, as soon as they accomplish their goal, they vanish before anyone has the opportunity to actually get a glimpse of any of them..."_ Explained Dardan before taking a deep breath. His face reflected certain degree of a mixture of both frustration and anxiety. _"Finally there is their leader, the woman known as Persephone... After carrying out a research which made me travel to plenty of far places I could only learn only one thing about that woman's identity... In fact, every single person I talked to described her exactly the same. Apparently, she is said to be the reincarnation of an obscure godness from a long lost tribe"._ As soon as he finished both couldn't help but to feel goosebumps all across their bodies. It was unbelievable.

The Prince was reluctant to believe what he just heard. _"So you mean to tell me that we are up against a godness? What exactly makes her worth to be regarded as a 'divine entity', huh?"_ He said before placing the empty glass on a tiny table at the side of the bed. _"And how exactly are you involved in this whole thing to begin with? I thought Farah had you leading his royal guard"._

 _"That is- that is a good question"_ He replied as sadness immediately became evident in his gaze. _"It... is rather complicate to explain but me and Farah have not exchanged words in almost two years. We just couldn't stay in the same room after many disagreements we had regarding, well, lets just leave it at that"_ He explained before releasing a short sigh. _"Long story short, Farah stripped me from my title as leader of her royal guard and sent me to take care of the kingdoms external affairs. That was when I first learned about Persephone and her infamous gang"_ Dardan took a deep breath and continued before sitting on the bed's edge. _"After a couple of months serving in the desert, rumors about a fearsome herd of masked men attacking small caravans became almost a daily thing to be heard... At the time I figured that those men were simply a very meticulous gang of bandits, however, when I first learned about the disappearances and the patron their assaults had I realized that they were not mere bandits..."._

 _"And when exactly did you come across their leader? I mean, how did you discovered who she was?"_ Asked a much more concerned Prince.

Dardan swallowed hard and proceeded to answer. _"It was on quiet night. I had received a message from one of Farah's pigeons... Apparently, one of camp which was made up of almost twenty Indian soldiers didn't come back from their last journey. So we were told to go look for them in the middle of the desert... With the help of the stars we could easily locate them...or at least what was left of them"_ He said. Soon after, the room got flooded with a tense and uneasy atmosphere.

 _"W-what do you mean?"_ Asked the Prince.

 _"Prince, we did not find anything besides severed tongues and plenty of blood"_ He answered.

 _"So you mean to tell me that these persons kidnapped a whole group of Indian soldiers and left nothing but tongues? What on earth are they up to?!"_ Replied the once again alarmed man as the thought of Javed's safety being reduced to pieces suddenly appeared within his head. _"(Javed...)"._

 _"One last thing. Those men, the men you manage to kill the other night... They- they also had their tongues cut off"_ Said Dardan.

The day had just begun and there was still plenty of surprises waiting at the end of it.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	3. Reckless Bet

A RECKLESS BET

"(The power to change hundreds of wills... Using nothing but force...)" Thought the woman who was sitting on her throne with eyes closed. Diving deeper and deeper into the darkness which lied within her memories. She didn't even flinch when the absolute silence of that large chamber was corrupted by someone who had entered through the only door it had. That dark place, whose only source of light were a few torches attached to some of the pillars it had at its sides, immediately received a rather powerful bean of light when that great gate was opened. "Kala..." She called as the person on the other side of the room hesitated for a second after realizing the immense powers of perception she had.

"Yes master, it is I" Replied Kala before performing a brief yet respectful bow. Persephone remained in silence and didn't even opened her eyes. "My apologies for disturbing your meditation, my mistress" She said before taking a few steps forward, only to eventually kneel before her Mistress. "I came here to inform about the situation of our men. I have already organized them for the assault which was planned for the day after tomorrow."

"Tell me, did the shadow has not returned yet?" Asked the mysterious woman.

Kala nodded and proceeded to inform. "Yes, my mistress. It has arrived just a few moments ago... According to what it reported, the caravan which will be crossing the eastern side of our desert is just a decoy, sent by the king in order to deceive us. Nevertheless, the shadow also learned where exactly will the true caravan be... They will be crossing the dead oasis at night, with barely any men protecting it."

"That foolish old man. Little does he know that it is practically impossible for me to not know whatever happens in my desert... Send our men then and let him know before ending with his pathetic life that if someone steps into my desert, as soon as they step on one of its grains of sand... I will know" Said the dark haired woman as she finally opened her eyes. Her powerful gaze immediately sent chills down Kala's spine.

"A-And what about the decoy?" She asked.

"I am only concerned about the real caravan... With that fake little thing you can do as you please" Replied Persephone as she abandoned her throne and approached her subordinate. "This will be our last task before the arrival of the Prince..." She said. As soon as Kala heard that she raised her face and made eye contact with her.

"The Prince... is of no concern to us, my mistress" Kala was suddenly dominated by a strange feeling, a feeling which she could never hope to describe. Persephone noticed this and immediately chuckled.

"Kala... You still have plenty to learn. I was holding back the other night... The Prince WILL survive and hopefully he will awake the dormant warrior that lies deep within his soul. He better come at me with all of his strength and rage for I will be ready to receive him and his spirit with my supreme power... Now go!" Said the mighty woman before turning her back on Kala, who immediately turned and commenced to walk away.

"(I am truly sorry, my mistress, but I shall be the one to go up against him... I must prove my truth no matter what!)" She thought as she abandoned the throne chamber, closing the large door behind her.

-•-

"Are you sure you don't need me to carry this around, Prince?" Asked Dardan as he approached the Prince with wooden shaft on one hand.

The Prince didn't even look in his direction before replying. "Don't you think that it would be impractical to carry that around the desert? Let alone the battlefield? Besides, I will not be needing it anymore" Said the long haired man before leaning and resting his back on the palace's white walls. "You see, the serum you saw me using earlier is not an ordinary medicine. It was once used by Kaileena herself many years ago..." He explained before stopping eight after the thought of his wife crossed his mind.

Dardan couldn't hide his puzzled face after the Prince's words. "A healing serum... It will be an excellent advantage for the quest we have before us, Prince. How much do we have left?". Dardan spoke, yet the man in front of him was already diving deep within a sea of guilty thoughts. "...Still, with a wound like that, I highly doubt the effectiveness of that thing" He said, trying to bring the Prince back to reality.

The Prince immediately looked at him and, with certain degree of anger in his voice, replied. "I have already told you, as long as I can hold a sword I can manage on my own. Besides, you and I both know that we are pretty short of time... I must find my son and doing that without any pain would be a luxury, Dardan". Thus, the Prince commenced to walk away.

"Prince..." Said Dardan before quickly following the man. As soon as he reached him, he asked that burning question. "So where do we start? The trail I had is cold now, Persephone could be in pretty much any corner of the desert right about now... All I had were rumors, actually. Come to think of it, there was plenty of deduction in my research" He explained.

The Prince then stopped dead in his tracks and with his fist supporting on his chin, he remained in silence for a brief moment before whispering "Mmmh... I suppose It was about time to pay him a visit". Thus, he turned to his friend and with a determined gaze which also emanated confidence and conviction spoke out loud. "We are going to see the old man, he might have some information for us".

Dardan scratched his head in confusion. "The old man?".

The Prince drank a sip of water from a tiny pot he had brought along and stopped before the small building's ebony door. After taking a deep breath he entered the place. The mysterious scent of incense combined with the hundreds of old books and parchments immediately triggered memories within his mind. The old man was a close friend of his father, their bonds were so strong that he even allowed him to instruct the Prince with all kinds of military strategies during his youth. He continued walking deeper into the house, trying not to trip over something. "Hello?" He called, however, there was no answer. Suddenly, he spotted a silhouette at the end of the room. As soon as he approached, someone talked back.

"It has been almost five years, young prince... No matter how many times you enter this place you never seem to get use to my...odd belongings" Said the silhouette before turning around so that the sunrays that were passing through the a tiny window at his right could illuminate his wrinkled face. It was the old man. The Prince smiled with apparent relief. "What is that? You seem to be surprised to see me. I still have some years left in me... What brings you here, my Prince".

"I apologize if I gave you a bad impression, wise man. I would like to catch up with you after all these years but I am afraid that can wait some more time" Replied the long haired man before taking a few steps forward so that the old man's worn out sight could perceive him. "I will go straight to the point. Me and my family were attacked by an strange group of masked people who were led by a woman... A woman who goes by the name Persephone, Persephone of Kora" As soon as he finished his explanation the old man released a shirt sigh as if he had already heard that name before.

"Yes, I heard that name before some years ago... Persephone of Kora, the plague of the desert. A woman feared by many but at the same time ignored by many. As far as my knowledge goes, she cannot be the real Persephone" Said the man.

The old man's words instantly shocked the Prince. "What does that mean?".

The wrinkled man made a brief pause and grabbed a glass of water he had at the edge of the desk behind him. "Before your grandfather was born, a fierce horde of foreigners came from the heart of the desert... It was as if they materialized from thin air... They almost wiped out all of the tribes of warriors if the desert. Their leader was a woman named Persephone. It is said that her skills with the sword were unsurpassed, she was indeed second to none... Despite being a powerful armed force, she and her men met their match when the Persian kingdom decided to take action against their ruthless slaughter".

"So what happened to her?" Asked the Prince.

"It is not known for sure... Some say that she was decapitated after the Persian army defeated her, others that she managed to escape after their defeat and vanished into the desert, never to be seen again" He replied. "But now you are saying that she came back. That is absurd, my Prince".

The Prince didn't know what to think. Was she the same woman? Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind and sent chills down his spine. "D-Do you have an image of her?" He said. The man before him nodded and began to look for it on a bookshelf near him. After some minutes he took a rather old looking book, after opening it and blowing some of the dust that was covering it he showed it to the Prince. What the Prince saw gave him goosebumps. The woman from the book was identical to the one that attacked him the other night.

"It is her..." He said. The old man stared at him, not knowing how to react to what his Prince was saying. "Please, wise man, tell me where I can find her!".

The man hesitated at first, but after seeing the sheer determination engraved on the young Prince's face he decided to tell him all he knew. "Believe what you will, my Prince. I will help you anyway. There is an specific zone almost in the middle of the desert which is infamous for the amount of people who disappear there... Large caravans reduced to mere dust, as if they melted with the desert sand... Follow the north star and you will find that place, The pool of Mitra"

"What took you so long?" Said Dardan a little upset for having to wait so much time outside the old man's house. The sun was already dying and the night was about to dominate the sky.

"Lets gear up, Dardan. We are going to hunt some ghosts".

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

 **HOW WAS IT? IT TOOK ME LONGER THAN I EXPECTED! ANYWAYS, HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE READ! LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WISH.**


	4. REENCOUNTER

**REENCOUNTER**

The splendid night sky was covered by an almost mystical veil of stars. Had his mind wasn't filled with vengeful thoughts and hatred, he would drive his attention away from that specific point and rejoice with the natural spectacle that was being display right above him. "(Come on, I know you are out there, lurking in the shadows...)" Thought the Prince who was laying down on the cold sand, waiting for what he was certain would appear in any moment. He and Dardan had spent the past week travelling to the destination the old man told him about, the dead oasis known as "The Pool of Mitra". The place was a recurrent resting spot used by many caravans since its location was so deep into the desert that any sane individual would think twice before attempting to assault a caravan without the proper equipment. The dead oasis was a completely isolated place, forgotten by the gods, no one could spent there more than a night before succumbing to the ruthless morning sun. Their efforts were rewarded when they spotted a little caravan heading right to the pool. With the caravan stopping and people preparing some tents, all that was left for them to do was to wait and hope to be in the right place.

The full moon was the ultimate relish of the night, with thin clouds which were partially covering its majestic beauty at times. Dardan decided that he had enough temptation and stared at the sky only to find amusement and even some degree of relaxation. "Such beauty. I wish I could have a lady by my side right about now... Guess having you is better than nothing, hehe" He said, trying his best not to be loud, in an attempt to break that silence that was dominating the two of the for the past minutes.

"For a man who had spent so much time in the desert, you sure sound rather amused by this sky" Replied the Prince whose serious expression remained imprinted on his face.

Dardan hesitated for a moment and with a gesture expressed his irritation, which he did little effort to hide from his partner "...Well, you see, most nights I couldn't help but to fall asleep" He then made yet another pause just to see if he had caught the Prince's attention. He did, apparently. Thus he continued "...I know is an odd behavior when it comes to track someone down since the darkness allows to sneak near the target rather easily. I wasted so much time hiding behind the dunes... Trying to find a lead, a clue, anything, but it was fruitless...".

"What do you mean?" Asked the Prince with sudden concern.

"As counterintuitive as it may sound, I discovered that they move whenever the sun is shining. Once they reach their destination, they 'vanish' as if they melt with the deserted environment... And when the sun hides behind the grains of sand, blood is spilled" Explained the young man, knowing that the explanation that had just escaped from his mind had left the puzzled man next to him even more confused. He then proceeded to quit beating around the bushes. "You see, Prince, they always camouflage with the desert sand and seem to have an alarmingly high amount of astronomical knowledge, hence the fact that their assaults bear nearly perfect accuracy... After several months of intense searching, thanks to my intuition and probably a little luck I managed to find the caravans they attacked...or should I say, what was left of them" Dardan stopped for a moment just enough to release a long yawn "It was the stars, after every single caravan I found, I followed the north star and after a few days on average I managed to discover the patron... Just one question keeps spinning within my head and that is: How the hell they appear out of nowhere without leaving any recognizable trace?".

"I will not lie, whoever these guys are, they sure have some experience doing this and..." Answered the Prince as his blue eyes spotted how a tiny mountain of sand morphed into a group of eight silhouettes. "... I believe the rats have been waiting beneath the sand long enough" He spoke as Dardan nearly jumped in surprise as he realized that they had finally reached the Hopeless. "Lets do this!" He exclaimed as he got up and took off his black robe, revealing the same leather armor he once thought he wouldn't need anymore.

Dardan stared at him admiring his powerful figure. "(But, can you be able to back that image with your sword, Prince?)" He thought while getting rid of his robe. After hearing the distinctive sound of a sword being unsheathed he immediate turned his head to the Prince "I know that the first thing that comes to mind is to chop them down and I would be lying if I said that I would not want to do it your way however, I suggest a more...tidy approach" He said before taking out a short sword he had hidden in his left boot. The Prince nodded and reluctantly put the water sword back in the sheath on his back, after that he pulled out a blue dagger from his belt. Dardan instantly recognized it. The dagger of time. "Are you sure you want to use it? With the sands gone that is barely more threatening than a spoon" He mocked.

The Prince gave him a tiny smirk much to his surprise and replied "What can I say? I feel naked without it. Besides, as long as it has sharp edges, it can be used to pierce someone's throat". Dardan smiled back and then both proceeded to crawl towards the caravan.

-•-

"My king, your concubine is ready" Said the bald, dark skinned guard. The fat middle aged man before him smiled briefly and caressed his gray beard as a woman in black who was covering her face with a veil stepped into the tent.

"At last! You may go now" Exclaimed the king. The guard vowed in response and began to walk away. However, before he could step outside the tent his lord suddenly spoke. "Don't you forget to rotate the guard formation every hour. I do not wish interruptions of any kind while I am here" The guard turned and nodded briefly without saying a thing before leaving the tent.

As soon as both were alone the overweight man approached her escort, caressed the side of her face and with nothing but lust within his veins and mouth he spoke "Are you new? Usually my escorts step in already naked... But do not worry though! I was tired of all these annoying whores, always screaming and making noises... I been yearning to taste some new flesh for way too long!" He said. The woman before her remained idle and the king quickly noticed her odd behavior. "No need to be shy! I treat my women with the eight amount of respect they need... Now, lets see that lovely face". The fat man then began to remove the dark veil, he could barely see one or two face features. As the veil finally fall to the carpet on the ground, the king jumped backwards in shock and fell down "T-This is not r-right! We... We had a deal!" Cried the overweight man.

The person that was standing before him was no woman. His hopes of finding a stunning face below that veil were crushed when his eyes met with the pale, wrinkled face of a man with big and dark eyeballs and an unrecognizable black symbol tattooed on his forehead. "You know why we are here, fake king" Said the enigmatic man as he approached slowly to the frightened old man "I was told that we do not need play with you any further and just cut to the chase..." He then pulled out a short sword that had a blade which resembled a saw from the depths of his dark robe and chopped one of the king's hands. He immediately screamed in pain.

-•-

"Did you hear that?" Whispered the Dardan to the Prince, who was crawling behind him. Despite no longer having their robes on, their silhouettes melted with the beautiful texture the sand had. As a result, not even the cold touch of the moonlight was enough to blow their cover. The Prince nodded and pointed to the nearest tent, which was located a few meters away. Slowly but certain, they reached it. "Alright, I will take this one, you head to the largest" Said Dardan before opening up the silky fabric with his short sword and quickly rolling inside.

Once he entered, the very first thing that came to his mind was the powerful scent of incense that was dominating the entirely of that dark environment. That was when he could perceive a graceful figure that stood out despite the darkness of the tent. He rolled forwards and hid behind some furniture. Upon closer inspection he could appreciate that exotic figure with graceful curves and partially hidden beauty. "(Oh boy... I should wait here for a while, just to make sure this fine lady is safe)" He thought to himself as his kinky eyes travelled all across those gorgeous curves of hers. She was being covered with a sensual purple transparent veil and robe that were adorned with red and violet flowers. She had pretty burly arms for a woman but as soon as Dardan began to think about her unattractive features he was distracted by her powerful rear and thighs again and again. Unfortunately for him, a desperate cry of pain right outside the tent destroyed the atmosphere completely. "Time to play the hero!" He thought out loud as he jumped from his hideout, ready to have the complete delight that was being able to take an even closer look at that beauty... However...

"Do not worry, my lady, I will protect y- WHAT THE?!" Dardan couldn't believe it, that voluptuous figure, that gorgeous and exotic lady was actually a man and a very ugly one to say the least. The bearded and wrinkled middle aged man hopped backwards in fear and stared at him speechless for an awkward moment which felt like an eternity before opening his mouth to speak.

"Well... I know what's in your mind but, believe me, I can totally explain this... Are you going to kill me?" Before Dardan could think of an answer the guy got on his knees and crawled to his feet while weeping and moaning desperately. "Come on! There must be something I can do to change your mind! I'll do anything... I-am-dead-serious..." Right after that disgusting man could even formulate his next speech an arrow was shot from the dark exterior pierced his heart, hence killing him almost instantly. It landed on his upper back and its sharp point ended up at plain sight at the other side of his body.

"(Damn!)" Dardan prepared his blade as his eyes desperately began to scrutinize the darkness from that projectile came from. He was ready to roll towards so that he could have a better chance to spot anything, however, much to his surprise someone spoke before he could pick what move to make.

"So it is you! Didn't your parents teach you to keep your nose as far away from affairs that are none of your concern?" Spoke the silhouette from outside, which morphed into a young woman with pale skin, gorgeous gray eyes and a ponytail holding her silky brown hair. Her mere figure emanated immense confidence and skill but also something else, something that he could not begin to understand. "Awww! Just my luck! Of all the persons I could run into tonight I end up with a cross-dresser and the Prince's closest servant...".

"...I remember you! You are Kala, right? The woman who was at Persephone's side the other night. Where is she?!" Exclaimed Dardan, who was already in his stance. He was about to attack her but hesitated when he realized that she didn't even pull out any weapon. Instead, she remained idle, with a cocky smirk adorning her creamy skin. "Come on, hurry up and fight so that I can kill you and find your lord!".

Kala laughed after hearing his challenging words. "Haha! You bear such a large amount of confidence in yourself despite being nothing but a mere entrance... Such misbehavior must be as bad as a sin and you shall pay with your life for it!" She said before briefly shaking both of her hands pulling out an incredible pair of silver claws from beneath her black leather armor.

Every muscle in his body tensed as she charged at full speed, however, much to his surprise she hesitated just before using her claws, she instead made a rather fast spin and successfully landed a solid kick to his temple. Dardan wasn't expecting a move such as that at all. Frightened, he could tell that he was lucky to still be awake. He groaned in pain while rolling away from his attacker. "What was that?!" Whispered the young man as he regained his composure, always keeping the surprise and shock plastered on his face. "(She just moved with flawless skill... I have never seen such a graceful footwork before...)".

Kala stared at him blankly and then released a brief chuckle before replying "How do you like my own style? I bet this is the very first time a woman hits you with such power..." As she was saying this a much more disappointed tone began to take over her speech "...You see, thanks to Persephone I managed to surpass the strength of any man on this land. After years of perfecting my technique I manage to bear an almost perfect control over my body... so that means that whenever I decide to hit, every single muscle in my body fuels my attacks" As she spoke, the man before her stared at her in amazement. Much to Dardan's misfortune, Kala charged at him and furiously swung her sharp pieces of shiny steel in an attempt to slit his throat, however, this time it was her turn to get shocked for her opponent had been able to predict the movement of her claws and hence he successfully blocked them with his sword.

Dardan's cocky smile appeared on his face but it vanished completely after a fraction of a second due to the immense strength the woman before him had. Such was the case that eventually he found himself pushing with all of his might, but it was futile. Her claws were getting more and more near his face within every second. "I-I cannot believe this! How could you-" Managed the man before the cold steel commenced to pierce the tanned skin of his right cheek with incredible ease. Dardan groaned in pain as the sharp blades began to gradually getting deeper and deeper within his flesh. "(H-How can she be so strong?! I must be at least twice as heavy! I suppose it is time to throw away my pride and use the old and trusty combat tactics!)" He thought before releasing Kala's arm and poking her in the eye as hard as he could. It worked.

"Ahhhh! You... Bastard!" Cried Kala right after stepping away. Her opponent took advantage of the situation and quickly swung his sword, almost certain that it would connect. Despite possessing the upper hand and being able to move freely, Kala barely managed to evade the sharp bronze sword and immediately counterattacked with her own cheap shot by violently kicking Dardan's crotch. Soon after that merciless blow, Kala followed with a flawless spinning hook kick which successfully landed on his jaw and sent him eight feet away. "Come on now, please don't tell me that I broke your jaw by accident... But then again, had that happened, I would have earned yet another lecture from my lord..." She said while bearing that confident expression again.

Dardan shook his head in an attempt to prevent himself from going unconscious. "(If Persephone does not wish her to kill me, then I am damn sure that somehow she knew what was going to happen tonight... Otherwise, she would not be travelling with her)" The thought of the Prince being all alone and possibly being confronted by Persephone instantly made him stake out the whole night. "(He is not ready! No time for regrets, right now I may not be able to beat her but at least I can serve as an entertainment for her...)" He thought to himself as he began to stand up. With help of his both hands, he successfully rearranged his previously dislocated jaw. He then turned to face Kala once again.

"Come" She sensually said while beckoning him with her index finger.

"(I just hope the prince can hold on)" Dardan thought before picking up her sword and charging at her with all his strength.

-•-

The Prince sighed in frustration as he sliced the throat of the third hopeless he encountered. Ironically, the broken dagger of time had proven to be incredibly useful. Such was the case that he couldn't help remembering his previous adventures and how these always ended up involving it "I guess it does not matter what I do, I will always depend on you..." He said to himself before smashing open the tent before him. The clouds of incense and the flashy carpets inside were a clear indicator that that had to be the leader's tent. He could barely see a thing, the creepy silence within the structure was starting to play with his stress since he knew he was not alone. "I know your type, always sneaking up to people... In the past, I have dealt with scum like you... I know your relation with the old gods of the desert and if you consider yourself different from an ordinary thief, show yourself!" He exclaimed.

At first there was no response, Nevertheless, after a few seconds someone finally spoke back. "...Very well! If you wish me to, I will..." Said a mysterious male voice with an indefinable accent from the darkness.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Close call

Wow! It's good to be back and it's even better when you return with a big ass chapter. Enjoy...

 **CLOSE CALL**

The Prince stood in silence as the silhouette before him gradually turned into a recognizable figure. Despite the lack of illumination within the tent, the powerful moonlight was strong enough to go through the fabric and hence it helped the Prince's eyes to take an almost proper glance at the wrinkled and pale face that man had. "Ugly bastard" He said. The man simply smiled and nodded before pointing his finger to the center of the structure.

"I will be more than happy to take you on, Prince, nevertheless, I suggest to carry on with this encounter in a more suitable place" He said, already knowing that he would agree and thus he took a few steps to his right. "Please" He politely said.

"You filthy bastards caused my family enough damage! I don't care about your delusional leader or her plans for this land, but I will not allow her to continue tormenting other people's lives!" Exclaimed the exasperated man as he performed a short jump to the center, yearning the feel of his blade cutting through that horrific man's torso.

The mysterious man chuckled for a brief moment and pulled out a short sword, which had an oddly shaped blade with engravings and rubies incrusted. It resembled some type of saw. "I can feel your hatred from here... It is almost like a gust of dry wind, caressing my face..." He said right after getting into his stance. "...You seem to bear plenty of concern for your wife, tell me, how long did it take her to finally die? I apologize if I destroyed her beautiful face by accident...and I apologize beforehand for what I am about to do to yours!".

At this point the Prince was beginning to grasp the way these persons dealt with their 'preys', the resorted to mind games. They played with other's fears or mental weaknesses. "(I must not allow my anger take control over my steel by any means)" He thought before slowly pulling out his water sword, always expecting him to attack at any time. However, he waited patiently. "Lets go!" Yelled the man as he charged towards his opponent with nothing but sheer fighting spirit and emotional energy. The man before him didn't even move and remained with his short blade bended on his right and partially covering the lower section of his face.

Eventually, the Prince managed to land a powerful strike, however, it was easily blocked by his short saw-like sword. Before that man could even think of any counterattack, the Prince successfully connected with a powerful roundhouse kick which could have been delivered to his head but due to the Prince's lack of flexibility ended up hitting the mid section. Perhaps not the best outcome, but it proved to be a wise move since his opponent flinched in pain before rolling aside. Without hesitation, he carried on with his onslaught by performing a rather fancy swing with his blade which once again met the other man's steel. "(Again!)" He thought to himself as he forcefully pushed with his sword in order to gain some momentum for his next attack.

A devious smile was drawn on the mysterious man's face when the Prince launched himself into the air and attempted to slash his throat. Unfortunately for the young prince, he was eagerly waiting for him to open his guard. Thus, he hit him with the knee right in his exposed side, his ribs. That simple attack was more than enough to send the already injured Prince to the grown. "You should not get ahead of yourself, boy, for you might crash into a wall..." He mocked with clear frustration reflected by his frowning face. "You see, Prince, I was given explicit order to try and test you. Despite being obliged to do so, I will go ahead and chop you down since my life is being threatened here" Explained the wrinkled man before continuing "I personally find appeal in your frowning face. The pain, it becomes you, no doubt".

"You can save that mediocre taunt. Now come to me already" Said the Prince, trying to hide the pain. The wounds received by Persephone were clearly his weak spot and he was damn sure that one or two more hits connecting with that particular body part of his and he would likely pass out due to the immense pain he would experience. "(One hit and I am already in trouble... I must get rid of this guy before that happens)"

Thus the mysterious man unleashed a relentless attack on the injured prince who immediately switched to a much more defensive position, dodging and blocking whenever he could. The wounded man had proven to be quite skillful with the sword and footwork since all his attacks either missed or were quickly blocked by his steel. "Come on! Quit toying and swing before I-" He was abruptly interrupted when his adversary managed to briefly glimpse the unprotected section of his abdomen and quickly replied with a powerful middle kick, right to his side. The sudden pain made the wrinkled man to hesitate and thus he found himself vulnerable to a fierce slash from the prince, which left a rather deep cut that travelled across his torso. He fell on his knees, not being able to process how that young man successfully managed to see pass his fast chain of attacks.

Before he could even react the Prince's sword was already touching his neck. "Tell me, where is Persephone! Where does she have my son!" Yelled the prince. The man before him simply released a short laughter and proceeded to speak back.

"You certainly are unique... Even after a short period of time you could regain some of your strength. That means that what my lord said was true... Her dreams had proven to be accurate for once..." He said before making a brief pause, which was short enough to see if he had awaken the Prince's interest. "...You see, Prince of Persia, you are not dealing with a group of mercenaries, let alone some pitiful or mediocre gang of thugs... No, what you are up against with is pure and sheer divine power!".

The prince sighed and with a frowning face he replied "Yes! I know, shut up already..." He said before decapitating him. Immediately lots of dark blood started to burst out quickly creating a disgusting puddle. The Prince crouched and touched the thick liquid with the tip of his index finger. "Just what in the hell is this?" Said to himself as he exanimated the 'blood' further. With more question than answers he stood up and began to walk away only to receive a direct hit on his back with a sharp object. "What the...?!" He yelled before falling down in pain.

"Just when I was about to applaud your wits, you decide to ruin it completely with your lack of vision..." Said a voice from behind.

"What witchery is this?!" He exclaimed while turning around to meet the person behind. Barely able to hold his composure, the shocked Prince opened his eyes as wide as he could because the person that was taunting him was none other than Persephone herself. "So you finally decided to show up and quit lurking in the shadows like a-" He was then interrupted by her.

"Like what? Like a starving wild animal? Like a worthless thief? ... Or like a weak coward whose only hopes of survival involve behaving like ghost and hide, perhaps" She said with fire and excitement with her beautiful eyes. "You know what, 'Prince of Persia', I was once thrilled by your accomplishments... I would dare to say, without hurting my pride, that I admired your achievements... You are one fascinating being...or pet" She added, making sure to leave a brief pause, so that the man before her could reply. "Killing an invincible being and a dark manifestation of you is surely remarkable at the very least" She added.

The Prince swallowed in genuine fear as her words reached his ears. How could she know about that? "(Somebody had had to tell her)" He thought while carefully stepping in, just to see how she would react. No sword was being pulled out and no rough movements were made. "You seem to know quite a bit about my life. However, I suggest you to just cut to the chase and stop being that elusive!" The Prince's words which were then filled with fear were now burning with sheer rage for he was tired of his past throwing problems at him.

"I can see it, the anger and hatred engraved on your every word. If anger makes you stronger then I should be amazed or at least mildly surprised because of your new motivation!" She spoke, puzzling the poor prince even further.

The Prince carefully placed his right hand on the handle of the water sword, expecting an explosive attack in any second. "W-what do you mean by that?" He asked, not sure of how he would react to what she was going to answer.

The dark haired woman folded her arms and proceeded to speak back. "Just this, the way I see it, there are only a few elements whose power is great enough to drive a warrior's sword in and out of his or her opponent... I am speaking about TRUE warriors... Nonetheless, any weak fool can believe that they bear these elements" The gorgeous woman then began to walk to one side, always keeping distance with the Prince and bearing a serene and relaxed yet powerful image. Thus she continued. "These elements, the ones that fuel a warrior's spirit, are: Hatred, Sheer sorrow and last but certainly not least... Pride. What I have just told you only was heard only by Kala, my right hand, let that be a hint of how important this truth actually is... It cannot be heard by mere weaklings" She said before changing the nature of her moves instant and gradually entering the very zone where the Prince was. "You know, Prince? I should kill you right know for what I have just told you, nevertheless, I shall wait a little more, just to see how great of a warrior you can actually become..." Persephone said before pulling her curved sword and entering her stance. "As for right now, I shall get a sniff of your current strength!" She then fiercely swung her blade towards the man but he quickly pulled out his own blade and blocked the attack. The collision of both blades immediately created sparks.

Immediately overwhelmed by the woman's abnormal strength, the Prince rolled to her side and successfully landed a side kick which didn't provoke too much damage to his opponent, but it was only a means to create an opening of his next strike. With Persephone just starting to turn to face him he poured all his might within his sword and attacked. "It's over" The Prince was dead certain that the landing of his attack would be more than just unavoidable, however, Persephone, once again defying the odds, dropped herself to the floor while also performing a side split and punching the Prince on his crotch, making him collapse in pain.

"(What was that?! It is as if she could foresee my every move!)" He thought as he rolled backwards only to find himself on the receiving end of Persephone's slashes. As he rolled, he managed to block more than one stab but he wasn't able to defend himself flawlessly since his things met her steel and were now bleeding constantly. "(I'm going to gas quickly if I keep evading, time for a counter attack!"). Thus he pulled out the broken bagger of time and viciously stabbed her right leg. The barrage of slashes the ended as Persephone quickly jumped backwards. As the silence began to make itself present once again, he realized that he was now outside the tent. The spending effect the moonlight had on the desert sand and the star covered night sky was an odd scenario for a battle for the Prince. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard laughs. Persephone was laughing.

"Silly me! I knew that you were a great pet for me, but I had totally forgotten that even your own pet can bite you back!" She cheerfully exclaimed while walking outside the tent to meet the standing prince. Without hesitation, she approached the standing man. Showing in no way, shape or form any stress caused by her new wound.

The now pale prince was now fruitlessly trying to hide his astonishment for he could almost perceive some sort of pleasure coming from her. Pleasure caused by pain? "You...are making me feel rather uncomfortable, I have to be honest, Persephone" He admitted while the dark haired woman before him took a short step forward. He immediately prepared his mind and body for another round of slashes and potential wounds. Calculating and creating hypothetic situations and ways of evading her hypnotic swings. However, her next move confused him even more. She put her sword away and winked at him.

"Show that to me, show that again... Those clueless blue eyes and that lower lip trembling in pure fear. Prince, the sole act of staring at you like this makes each and every juice within my body boil!" She said before seductively licking her lips and gracefully caressing the her temple. The man couldn't even try to understand that sudden mood swing. He was lost, clueless...hopeless. "...I will say this just once and I truthfully hope that your answer will be yes because I believe in exceptions... I am one myself, but I digress" She spoke with her hand now on her heart. "Come with me, Prince. Become part of me and leave everything behind".

The puzzled man couldn't begin to understand what she was actually saying but had one thing clear. "Forget about it, I will not leave my life just because of some lunatic's whims" His answer was truly a harsh one to hear for Persephone. Despite seeming somewhat disappointed at first, she quickly followed with a smirk and another wink.

"Well, what can I say? That's a real shame" She replied as she was taking out her curved sword once again. "You have made your decision, Prince of Persia. Now lets see if you can live long enough to suture the cuts I'm about to make on that pretty face!".

After hearing her crie of war, the Prince decided to take the initiative and attacked first. His blade was parried and now the handle of her sword was nearly landing on his chin. He thus docked, barely evading the blow and this gave him the opportunity to connect with the dagger, piercing her leather armor and slightly cutting her abdomen. Before the surprise, or in this case the thrill could leave his opponent's mind, he managed to finally land swing which travelled from the ground towards her chest. The momentum created by docking so quickly granted the strike an enormous amount of power. "(What?!)" He thought when his water sword stopped just a few inches below it was supposed to deliver. It landed, yes, but it did a little bit lower and thus was met with the thickest part of her armor.

"Don't get so cocky!" She taunted since her blade had been put in the way and prevented a fatal hit. Then she delivered a powerful knee right to the Prince's nose, sending him flying a few meters away. "Get up, you naughty boy... I'm done playing nice lady here" She mocked.

Just as the Prince was beginning to regain his composure someone was kicked out of a tent nearby. It was Dardan, and he looked like he had been brutally beaten.

"Huff huff... I don't know, Prince. This double date thing isn't my thing, I should try talking to Farah again..." She said while trying to spit all the blood he had in his mouth. "You seem to still be in one piece... Wanna switch partners?" Said the bruised man. Dardan was in pretty bad shape and his friend couldn't help but to wonder who was the one responsible.

With a short chuckle, he replied "Heh, No thanks!".

Dardan smiled for a second and with a troubled voice tone answered "I knew you would say that...".

"How come you are still talking? You are a stubborn one, no doubt about it" Said Kala who was stepping outside the tent. Now all of them were outside and anything could happen. One thing was certain, though, the two men weren't the ones bearing the lead in that battle. "My lord and master, may I continue with my diversion or shall I quit toying?" She said with pure respect and making a short bow in reverence. Then both women exchanged gazes and after some seconds, Kala decided to walk away, towards the desert dunes.

"Hey! I'm not done with you! Come back!" Yelled a downed and injured Dardan who had just began to get up. Kala stopped and looked over her shoulder, showing nothing but a stoic gaze.

"No, I am done with you. So long" Said the woman before disappearing behind the sand ridges. Persephone began to walk away and in the same direction as well.

"Don't even bother, Prince of Persia. You are still a dirty stone that needs to be honed, the tip of a spear lacking sharp edges is no different from a board game's tab..." She crudely said just when the man behind her attempted to approach her. "Just to clear any doubts, you have improved, a lot! Despite this, I could've killed you about a dozen of times by now. So I beg of you, strengthen yourself at least...ten times more" Her words had a deep impact on the Prince, she could feel how his expectations and hopes crashed and burned. She knew what he thought.

The Prince stopped dead in his tracks and with a voice filled with impotence he asked "B-but tell me where is my son!". His crie of desperation caught the attention of both Dardan and Persephone for it reflected a profound agony. The woman then turned around and sighed before replying the long awaited answer.

"If seeing your son you want, the sings of a true warrior you must find... Farewell" She said before a circle of fire materialized from thin air and surrounded the two men. Persephone thus vanished from the scene.

The Prince called her name many times, but there was no answer. They were now alone and had to move from there, and do it fast since the fire was getting nearer them within every second. He turned aggressively when Dardan placed a hand on his shoulder. Both gazes met and a quick nodd was all that was needed. "What about these people? Is there anyone still alive beside us?!" Asked the Prince, already knowing the answer deep within himself. Dardan's silence was the confirmation of what he feared. They had failed.

THE NEXT MORNING

"So you are saying that in order to find Persephone we need to find the... What was it? Oh, the things that forge a true warrior, right?" Was Dardan's question. The Prince nodded while scratching his head and reading one of the books given to him by the old man.

"I believe I found something" He said as he handed the old book to his friend. "According to this, there were about three or four ancient tribes located around the very center of this desert... What is truly interesting is that each of them venerated one god. The God of Suffering, the God of Glory and Pride and lastly the God of Rage and Chaos" He explained.

Dardan then closed the book and proceeded to sit by his side. "Fine, I guess we will be needing the guidance of the stars again..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Please, I would appreciate some feedback! Thanks in advance!


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